1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of organic solvents. More particularly, the present invention relates to aromatic solvents having aliphatic solvent properties. Specifically, a preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to a naphthenic solvent with high solvency having the aliphatic solvent properties of high boiling range, narrow distillation range, and high flash point. The present invention thus relates to aromatic solvents of the type that can be termed aliphatic-like.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Historically, it was known in the prior art to prepare both aromatic and aliphatic organic solvents from petroleum feedstocks. Aromatic solvents are nonsaturated cyclic compounds and have an odor. Compositions that contain more than approximately 50% aromatic compounds usually have a strong odor. Conventional aromatic solvents typically have a narrow boiling range, a low flash point and high solvency.
In contrast to aromatic solvents, aliphatic solvents are acyclic, (i.e., open-chain carbon compounds) and have some odor. Compositions that contain predominantly aliphatic compounds usually have a mild odor. Conventional aliphatic solvents typically have a wide boiling range, a high flash point and limited solvency.
A previously recognized problem has been that the desirable aromatic solvent characteristic of high solvency and narrow boiling range, on the one hand, and the desirable aliphatic solvent characteristics of higher boiling ranges and high flash point, on the other hand, are mutually exclusive. Heretofore, no composition having all these characteristics has been known. Such a solvent could act as a powerful solute vehicle across a relatively wide range of temperatures and without decomposing, except at high temperatures. What is needed therefore is a composition that combines the high solvency and narrow distillation range that is typical of aromatic solvents with the higher boiling ranges and high flash point that are typical of aliphatic solvents.
As is known to those skilled in the art, various petroleum refining by-products for which no high value added use is currently known are simply mixed with fuel oil and burned to obtain some economic value from them. However, merely burning these petroleum refining by-products is a relatively inefficient use of petroleum fractions that have undergone capital and energy intensive processing. Thus, another previously recognized problem has been that burning petroleum refining by-products as fuel is not an efficient use of these fractions. Needless to say, it is desirable to provide a refining process having higher over-all efficiency.